Phu Tho: 92 to be prosecuted for involving in online gambling ring

Phan Sao Nam (R) and Nguyen Van Duong are accused of being the masterminds behind the online gambling ring (Photo: Ministry of Public Security)

Hanoi (VNA) – Police in northern Phu Tho province have asked the provincial
People’s Procuracy to prosecute 92 people for involvement in a major online
gambling ring.

On July 18, the Phu Tho Department of Public
Security proposed 92 persons be prosecuted for one or some of the charges of
organising gambling, gambling, illegally trading invoices, laundering money,
bribery, using the internet to appropriate assets and abusing position and
power while performing duties.

During the probe, Phu Tho police launched
criminal proceedings against 105 persons for the seven charges, but
investigation into 13, 12 of whom are being hunted, was suspended.

They said there is sufficient evidence to
confirm that the online gambling ring through the card game Rikvip/Tip.club was
led by Phan Sao Nam (former Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of
the VTC Online Telecommunications Company – VTC online) and Nguyen Van Duong
(former Chairman of the Member Council of the Hi-tech Security Development and
Investment Ltd Co. – CNC).

The ring included 25 tier-1 outlets, 5,877
tier-2 outlets and 42,956,718 gambling accounts. It was found to have gained
more than 9.85 trillion VND (428.2 million USD) in revenue from online
gambling.

Deducting more than 3.7 trillion VND (160.9
million USD) paid for gamblers and involved companies to cover management
costs, staff’s salary and tax, the involved persons received some 4.71 trillion
VND (204.8 million USD), including 1.47 trillion VND (63.9 million USD) for
Phan Sao Nam and 1.65 trillion VND (71.7 million USD) for Nguyen Van Duong.

The investigation agency has seized more than
1.34 trillion VND (58.3 million USD) of money from the ring organisers and
accomplices.

Phu Tho police said they also have sufficient
ground to ask for the prosecution of Phan Van Vinh – former Lieutenant General
and former Director General of the Police General Department under the Ministry
of Public Security, and Nguyen Thanh Hoa – former Major General and former
Director of the ministry’s Hi-tech Crime Police Department, for abusing their positions
and power in association with the case.

Because of the case’s complexity, the
investigation agency will continue the probe in a second phase to clarify
persons and organisations with suspected involvement in the ring.-VNA